Did Jazz just hurt their chances of re-signing Gordon Hayward?

Did Jazz just hurt their chances of re-signing Gordon Hayward?

Here’s something that wouldn’t make sense without context: With their trade for Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio for a protected first-round pick in 2018 on Friday, the Jazz may have just unknowingly sabotaged their own plans to keep Gordon Hayward in town.

Hill, who turned 31 years old last month, averaged 16.9 points and 4.2 assists per night in 49 games for the Jazz last season. Their connection likely go beyond just the one season they’ve played together, as Hill is an Indiana native much like Hayward, and is now expected to test the market given their acquisition of Rubio, two draft selections made on point guards last week, and with the fact that Dante Exum is still in town.

Hayward connection aside, opting for Rubio over Hill makes sense for the Jazz, as Rubio is younger and currently costs less. (Did the Jazz ever want to pay Hill big time money into his mid-30s? Probably not.) It’s also worth noting that Genessy did later mention that the Jazz could pitch Rubio’s presence as a suitable Plan B to Hayward, especially when you consider the cast around one of the game’s true point guard.

That would not be lost on Hayward, even with Hill likely out of the picture.

“The Jazz have a lot going for them,” Hayward’s agent Mark Bartelstein told The Salt Lake Tribune earlier this week. “They have turned themselves into an elite organization. They handle everything in a first-class manner. My job is to guide Gordon through the process. Guys are only free agents a few times in their careers. So our job is to give Gordon his options, and let him see what’s out there.”

This weekend marked the start of Hayward’s three-city free agency tour, with stops in Miami, Utah, and Boston, and with a decision expected to come shortly thereafter.

The 27-year-old Hayward averaged a career-high 21.9 points last year, and can sign a five-year max contract worth close to $180 million should he choose to stay with the Jazz, or a four-year max deal worth over $130 million with any other team.

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